FAQ

I’m a Safari 4 user and the mLoader plug-in isn’t working for me. Am I doing something wrong?

No, you are doing nothing wrong. Currently, the mLoader web plug-in does not support Safari 4, but we are working to solve the issue ASAP!

In the meantime, if you wish to upload video to your mDialog account, please use the standalone version which can be found in your Applications directory.

What is mLoader?

mLoader is our groundbreaking desktop application that allows you to encode, describe, and upload MPEG-4 h.264 videos (in 960x540 HD). Its client-side server design means that we do all the conversion for you as you upload - so your content can go live right away, without hours of waiting for pesky servers to respond. Uploading video to mDialog is as easy as 1-2-3.

How do I download mLoader?

To get the latest version of mLoader, click here.

My video didn't upload properly. What happened?

If the process is working, you'll see a progress bar as your video uploads in mLoader. The percentage will climb to 100%, and then a pop-up window will tell you to visit mDialog.com to view the video.

If it appears to have uploaded successfully, but your video still isn't playing once you try to view it in your library ('myNetwork') at mDialog.com, the best solution is usually to try again. Try quitting mLoader, reopening it, logging back in with your account, and uploading the video once more. If the problem persists, please e-mail us directly at support@mdialog.com.

What kind of files can I upload?

If you can watch your file in QuickTime, and export it in QuickTime Pro, you'll probably be able to mLoad it as well.

If you're having problems playing or exporting a specific movie, an overview of QuickTime-compatible components is available on Apple's QuickTime Components page. There are also third party packages available for both Windows and Macintosh that expand on QuickTime's base offerings - many of these are also supported by mLoader as well.

If you're on a Mac, and you're being sent to this screen for more information, it likely means that your movie was originally encoded using a proprietary codec that doesn't support the type of transcoding we do at this time. If you're able to, try re-encoding it using the Apple Intermediate Codec - this is a very low compression codec that works well with mLoader, and has the added benefit of encoding to our formats, very, very quickly. If you still have problems, open up the file in QuickTime Player, view the Movie Inspector window, take a screenshot and sent it to support@mdialog.com. We'll be glad to help you figure out a solution.

How big a file can I upload?

Oh, this is the best part. Your high-resolution file can be as big as you like, and as lengthy as you need, providing you have enough storage space left on your account. For information about upgrading your membership plan to accommodate more storage, click here.

I just encoded and uploaded my video. Now what?

Our client-side mLoader software makes uploading fast and easy - but we know it's a little different than some of the other video sites out there. Thankfully, what makes us different also makes us faster and better.

Once you upload your videos with mLoader, you'll need to go to mDialog.com and log in with your username and password. From there, you can view your video library by selecting 'myNetwork' and viewing your complete collection.

Does mLoader work with the Elgato turbo.264 HD device?

mLoader will automatically detect when you plug the turbo.264 HD into your computer. If the device is plugged in and your turbo.264 HD software is up to date, mLoader will automatically use it to do the encoding.

While mLoading, the turbo.264 HD LED will activate and you'll see "... turbo.264 HD accelerated" during the encoding stage. Your encoding times should be reduced by up to 50 percent - and sometimes even more for really large files.

Here are a couple of quick tips:

- Make sure your turbo.264 HD software is up to date.
- Always restart mLoader (or Safari if you're using the plugin) after an update to the turbo.264 HD software.
- Only plug-in or unplug the device while mLoader is idle.
- mLoader only utilizes the turbo.264HD for the HD and Web renditions of your videos; the Mobile rendition cannot use the turbo.264 HD at this time.

Will mLoader work with the original Elgato turbo.264 device?

No, mLoader will not work with the non-HD version of the turbo.264.

I've installed the Beta version of mLoader, but I'm having problems. What should I do?

While we do our best to make sure all released software, even beta versions, are bug free, sometimes issues arise.

We appreciate all feedback, and if you're having a consistent problem with the beta version of mLoader, you should email support@mdialog.com with a description of what's happening. Including a description of the steps you took to cause the bug to happen, details about the source movie, and any other information you think might be useful is always appreciated.

Once you've submitted a bug, you'll probably want to 'roll back' to a more stable version of mLoader. This is as easy as navigating to the mLoader download page, downloading the main release of mLoader, and running the installer. This will reinstall mLoader, and you'll be good to go. If you're still having problems, let us know at support@mdialog.com - we'll help you out.

What is myNetwork? How are my videos organised?

Whenever you upload a video with mLoader, it will go directly into myNetwork—whether or not you’ve also chosen to upload it directly into a channel. myNetwork is really just your personal library of videos that you’ve published.

What is a channel?

All videos on mDialog are shared within the framework of channels—created by you and users like you—containing at least one video. Channels let you keep videos together when they belong together. You can put the same video in as many channels as you like, too, so your content can be repackaged as many times and as many ways as you like!

You can Broadcast videos to the world by making your channel public, or Narrowcast to just a select group of friends, or create a private channel to keep to yourself. With mDialog, the control is all yours!

How do I add a video to my library?

Uploading a video with mDialog is easy. Once you've created a membership, just download our mLoader software for Mac or PC, and follow the simple 3-step instructions.

STEP 1: Choose your video. You can easily drag your video file right into the dotted box, or click 'BROWSE' to find the file on your hard drive. If you have a camera connected to your computer, you can even shoot your video right there on the spot.

STEP 2: Select a thumbnail. Here, you can use the scrubber to find a frame that will represent what is basically the cover page of your video. It's best to choose something that will make the video easy to identify.

STEP 3: Name your video. This is a big one. Here, you can give your video a title, add a description, and choose the encoding option of your choice (we recommend "Encode to all formats", for maximum versatility). You can also upload your video directly to an existing channel (if you've created any), update the parental rating, and create a copy of the encoded file to save to your desktop.

Once you're done, click MLOAD and let the software do its thing.

How do I create a new channel?

First, you need to upload some content to your media library (myNetwork) using mLoader. Once you've got at least one video online, you'll be able to create a new channel by clicking on the '+Create Channel' button under myNetwork on the left column of the mDialog.com home page. By selecting or deselecting the videos in your library, you can add or remove content from your channel at will.

How do I add/remove a video to/from a channel?

If you want to add a video that's already in your library, just click on 'manage' in the channel view and add your video by selecting or deselecting the videos that you want to add or remove.

If you want to upload a new video directly into the channel, you can do that using the mLoader software. Just encode and upload your new video, and use the drop-down menu in Step 3 of the mLoader process to select which of your channels you'd like to publish to.

What does tagging and describing do?

Tagging and adding a strong description to your video is the best way for you to optimize your content to be reached by the people who want to see it. The more descriptive and accurate you are, the better chance you'll have at attracting all those viewers who are aching to get at your awesome channel. Don't skimp—be creative!

How easy is it to select a thumbnail frame for my video?

Easy as pie. When you're uploading a video in mLoader, use the scrubber bar in Step 2 to find an image that you like. We'd suggest you find one that really shows off the content, is intriguing, or just plain reads well as a cover page. Remember: That thumbnail is the first thing your viewers will see, so make it good.

What is Narrowcasting?

We know that you may not want some of your videos to be accessible to any old web surfer. That's why mDialog offers Narrowcasting, which allows you to publish a channel to as few or as many people as you like. When you add their e-mail address to the list of recipients for your Narrowcasted video, they'll receive an e-mail with a password to access the content.

What is Broadcasting?

When you choose to broadcast your channel on mDialog, it will be accessible by anyone who visits that channel—no password or login required. Broadcasting your channel is the best way to reach your widest audience.

What is Private?

If you set your video to private, you will be the only one able to view it.

How does the 'Survey' function work?

Sometimes, a message board just doesn't cut it. mDialog's unique survey function allows you to communicate with your viewers in a meaningful way.

Surveys can be added to any video in your library.

Note that when a survey is added to a video, it will only appear when the video is played in the channel through which it was added. So, when that same video is added to another channel, it will not have the survey attached.

Better still, the survey goes wherever your video does - even when it's embedded on a blog or another site - and the results are displayed right there in the player.

How do I embed a video/channel on my site or blog?

All public videos can be embedded on external sites. Just head over to the video's page at mDialog, copy the code from the "Embed This Video" box, and paste that code into your site. It's as simple as that.

With our new embeddable player, you'll be able to embed an entire channel on your page with just one bit of code. The embedded video that you've picked appears in the main window, and the scrolling window below holds thumbnails of all your channel's other videos.

How is this site optimized for the iPhone?

The platform is optimized for iPhone and iPod Touch users, who can take advantage of its cool social features, including chat, IM, ranking, and the new survey feature.

How do the RSS feeds work?

All mDialog content can now be synced with the RSS reader or feed distribution service of your choice. Just click the 'RSS' button in your browser's address window to get the link. RSS feeds will allow users to keep on top of regularly updated channels like yours, so they'll know the moment you add new content.

How do iTunes feeds work?

iTunes feeds work a lot like RSS feeds—just click on the "Add to iTunes" button on any channel page and watch as the content syncs automatically with your computer's iTunes software. This even works with Private or Narrowcast content—you'll just have to enter the password to authenticate before playing.